So it’s been a little while since the last time we gave an update on all things “Desert Dwelling Smith” and about a hundred times longer since I was actually the one putting fingers to keyboard. 

First of all, Happy New Year to everybody and we hope that 2010 is full of health, happiness, and success for all of you.

And now for the update …

Christmas for us was a good one.  We spent Christmas Eve with Lisa’s family at Gary and Bonnie’s house where we were able to see Lisa’s Uncle, his wife, and their son Cameron (who we hadn’t seen in far too long).  Christmas morning at our house was fun, as it always seems to be every year.  Braelyn was surprised with a handful of treats from Santa and we were able to just take our time and relax together as a family … for a few hours at least … we ended up hosting Christmas Lunner at our house with about 20 friends and family with a fun potluck, bocce ball tournament, and a fire outside on the patio.  It was cool to have so many good people come together and just enjoy each others’ company.

Lisa, Braelyn, and I packed up and headed home to SD for the week between Christmas and New Years and were fortunate enough to see lots of family and friends while we were there. 

We took a family trip (my Mom, Dad, Devyn, and Kyleigh along with L, B, and me) to the Wild Animal Park which Braelyn absolutely ate up.  We took the safari tour, heard Lions roaring, got to touch an African Boa Constrictor, got mooned by a handful of Gorillas, fed Ducks, rode the Carousel, and about died from heat exhaustion (the forecast called for something near 60 degrees but ended up roasting our fully clothed selves with a very January-esque 85).  It was a good family outing as none of us had been there since Devyn was in Middle School (10 years ago at least).  Braelyn also decided she wanted to get her face painted … pretty darn cute in my biased opinion.

My parents hosted a New Year’s Eve open house and we were able to see Aunts, Uncles, Cousins, Friends, and Neighbors … all of whom we haven’t seen in too long … it was awesome to get caught up.

Braelyn and her Gramma Sheri spent some time baking cookies, playing in the front yard, and playing with lots of toys … Braelyn enjoyed having her little cousin following her every footstep for the week too.

Since we’ve been back to reality, Braelyn continues to keep us busy with her dance/gymnastics classes, swim classes, and play dates with her friend Esteka.  We also had another fun annual excursion with Jack and Betty (Lisa’s Gpa/Gma) when “Disney on Ice” came to town – Braelyn hasn’t stopped talking about it nor has she quit pretending to skate around the house.

As this is a rare update with me as the author, I’ll try to give a recap of some of my job/role changes since the last time I posted:

After spending 2009 away from our Major League team for the first time in 5 years; I was running around scouting High School and College players in preparation for the Draft as well as covering and reporting on a handful of Minor League teams in case trade opportunities were to arise and/or to gauge our interest in Free Agent acquisitions.  I really enjoyed my time and was able to earn a more involved role within our scouting department.  2010 will see me covering 21 professional teams (5 Major League, 16 Minor League) for trades/free agency as well as seeing some of the top amateur players in the country as we prepare for the Draft (it sounds extremely similar but it is different, I promise, though it’s hard to explain).  Long story short, lots of travel, lots of writing, lots and lots and lots of baseball … and lots of opportunity.

I’m just enjoying every minute of the off-season right now since my time at home runs out on April 8th.  Braelyn is such an incredible little girl and Lisa, with very little help from me, sets such a wonderful example of what a caring, loving, genuine person embodies.

Long winded I know, but at least I hope you feel caught up.  Best wishes to you and yours …

Matt

Well, my wife has been on me about touching base with everyone and submitting a post so here we go:

 We are now in city #2 of the year and it’s actually my favorite stop on the circuit.  Denver has a lot of stuff to do, good restaurants right near the hotel, good clubhouse at the park, nice hotel, and we stay close enough to the ballpark to be able to walk (which is always a plus in my mind). 

 Last night, our manager took the staff out for a very nice dinner at the Capital Grill (which I had never been to).  It was an interesting evening to say the least but it was a very nice gesture by our manager.

 This trip has been pretty low-key to this point.  Cincinnati was Cincinnati (which means not good – no offense to anyone with a fondness for it – we just don’t share it).  We had cold, rainy weather the whole time and there’s not a heck of a lot to do near the hotel.  On the bright side, I did have an off-day there (my whopping 2nd day off since February 20th) and some of the guys took me out to dinner in a cool little area of suburban Cincinnati with little pubs and mom-and-pop restaurants.  We had a good time and were able to finally just relax for an evening.  I was also able to run into a friend who moved to the Dayton area about a year ago; his family came in for a game and he drove down a second day to meet me for lunch.  It was good to get caught up and see a familiar face.

On that note, one of the perks of my job is that I get the opportunity to see and catch up with lots of friends and family that are scattered across the country. 

It’s been interesting to open two ballparks in one week (obviously opening day in Cincy and then, yesterday, the Rockies had their home opener as well).  The energy and excitement and expectations are always so high right at the start of the year and the fans come out in full force.  I’ve enjoyed the experience so far.

 Last paragraph, I promise:  After 6 weeks in Tucson for ST and another week on the road, I am chomping at the bit to get home, sleep in my own bed, and finally get some time with L & B.  It feels like a long time since we’ve been able to just go to the park, or take a walk, or … normal stuff.  I’m looking forward for some time at home that isn’t an absolute scramble.  On that note … I’m out.